Improved tobacco-press



J. SWEENEY.

PRESS.

No. 28,912. Patented June 26, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN SNVEENEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED TOBACCO-PRESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28.912. dated June 26,1860.

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SWEENEY, of Ohi cago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Press forCompressing Stearine, Paper, Tobacco, and other Substances; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a worm-wheel andscrew, combined with chains, stirrups, a cross-head, and guides,arranged as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby a verysimple, efficient, compact, and powerful press is obtained, and one thatmay be manipulated by any one of ordinary ability, the invention beingdesigned for manual operation.

To enablethose skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a base or box supported at a suitable height, and havingtwo uprights, B B, secured to it, which uprights may be of cylindricalform, to serve as guides for one or more followers or platens, O, whichare placed between the uprights and notched at their ends to receive thesame.

D is a shaft, which is placed transversely under the bar or box A insuitable bearings, and has a worm-wheel, E, on one end, into which ascrew, F, on the shaft G gears. On the outer end of this shaft G aratchet, H, is placed, and I is a lever forked at one end, and provided.with a pawl, a, which engages with the ratchet when the forked end ofthe lever is fitted over the ratchet and 011 its shaft G.

To the shaft D, and at each side of the base or box A, there is attacheda chain, J, to the upper end of which stirrups K are attached one toeach. The stirrups K are fitted over the ends of a cross-head, L, whichis placed 011 the uppermost follower O.

From the above description it will be seen that by turning the shaft G,through the medium of the lever I, pawl a, and ratchet H, motion will becommunicated to the shaft D through the medium of the screw F andwormwheel E, and as the shaft D is rotated the chains J J will be woundupon it, and the crosshead L pressed down 011 the uppermost fo1- lower0, and the substance beneath the follower compressed.

In certain cases, where juices or oils are to be expressed fromsubstances, the latter may be put into bags placed between a series offollowers G, as shown in red in the drawings, and in such cases the boxA will catch the fluid.

The whole device, it will be seen, is extremely simple and efficient,may be constructed at a small cost, and monopolizes but little space. Ithas been practically tested for compressing stearine,,and has been foundto answer an admirable purpose.

I do not claim separately any of the parts herein described; but

I do claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent Thecombination of the worm -wheel and screw E F, chains J, cross-head L,guides B B, follower 0, one or more, and base or box A, with the ratchetand lever H I, or their equivalents, arranged for mutual action, as andfor the purpose set forth.

JOHN SWVEENEY.

Vitnesses:

OWEN STUART, J OHN R-oDGERs.

